Hold the water: Some firms fracking without it

The use of one precious fluid — water — to recover another — oil — chafes in dry country. Rivers and groundwater are receding in Texas for lack of rain and over-pumping just when the demand for water in new oil and gas fields is growing.

Now one exploration and production company in San Antonio is fracturing its wells mostly without water, using gas liquids instead, in a practice that’s beginning to spread.

Fracturing, or fracking, refers to using fluid under pressure to create fissures held open by sand. Oil or gas flow back through these channels and up through a well.

BlackBrush Oil & Gas LP is using a butane-rich mix for fracking after being confounded by many of the same obstacles other energy companies face in buying, moving and disposing of large amounts of water.

“Ranchers don’t want to give up their water,” said Jasen Walshak, production manager at BlackBrush.

The term gas liquids refers here to three fluids – propane, butane and pentane – that occur together with natural gas. They’re extracted from natural gas and sold, mostly as fuels.

Switching to gas liquids also seems to reduce controversy for BlackBrush.

“People don’t see water transfer lines all over the place,” Walshak said, referring to the yards and miles of pipe that move water from rural wells to oilfield tanks and rig trucks.

In the U.S., oil and gas fracturing is done almost entirely with water-based fluids. Fewer than 5 percent of jobs were done with other fluids in 2012, said Mukul Sharma, a professor of petroleum engineering at the University of Texas Center for Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering.

Overall much less water is drawn for oil and gas than for agriculture or residential use, but the amounts are still significant, and they often come from places where every drop of water was spoken for before the current energy boom began.

It takes about 6 million gallons of water to fracture a well in the Eagle Ford shale, about 2.6 million gallons in the Barnett shale, and less still in some other Texas fields.

Less damage to well

BlackBrush contracts with the Canadian company that developed the method, GasFrac Energy Services. GasFrac is expanding in South Texas and now has offices in Houston and outside San Antonio.

Early in their South Texas plays, BlackBrush and GasFrac used propane purchased on the retail market. That was expensive, but they saw immediate advantages, nearly doubling initial production. They were able to use less propane, by volume, than they had water. And fracturing the formation with propane didn’t damage the formation the way water did, Walshak told a recent forum in Katy.

On the negative side, gas liquids are less forgiving than water, and can be more expensive. Any problem that occurs during fracking requires the site to shut down.

Walshak said the company has done 20 jobs so far with the liquids. Anticipating concern over the idea of using flammable compounds to recover other flammable compounds, he said, “It is safe.” No volatile hydrocarbons are exposed to the atmosphere. A truck on site holds nitrogen to clean gas lines and send the fluids to a flare where they are burned off.

One employee is detailed full time to a thermal camera, checking for leaks. Sensitive monitors are set at strategic potential leak points. If they sense gas, “they hit a global kill,” said Dave Nicholas, frac operations manager for GasFrac, and the site is evacuated. Valves automatically open and the flare is lit. But Nicholas says that has never happened in his year and a half on the job.

The companies have experimented with a range of mixes. They tried a 50-50 mix of butane and pentane. Managers now prefer a hybrid, 60-70 percent butane and 30-40 percent “frac oil.” Frac oil can refer to a controversial oil that contains compounds harmful to people, including benzene and toluene. The frac oil they are using is green, Nicholas said, and contains none of these.

Sold after use

Forcing fuel downwell could revive the controversy over diesel fuel. Energy companies have denied using diesel as a frac fluid, but a congressional investigation found they used 10 million gallons of straight diesel between 2005 and 2009, nowhere more than in Texas.

A worker adjusts hoses during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. gas well, near Mead, Colo. The first experimental use of hydraulic fracturing was in 1947, and more than 1 million U.S. oil and gas wells have been fracked since, according to the American Petroleum Institute. The National Petroleum Council estimates that up to 80 percent of natural gas wells drilled in the next decade will require hydraulic fracturing. less

A worker adjusts hoses during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. gas well, near Mead, Colo. The first experimental use of hydraulic fracturing was in 1947, and more than 1 million U.S. oil and ... more

Photo: Brennan Linsley / ASSOCIATED PRESS

Image 2 of 29

A worker adjusts pipes during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. The first experimental use of hydraulic fracturing was in 1947, and more than 1 million U.S. oil and gas wells have been fracked since, according to the American Petroleum Institute. The National Petroleum Council estimates that up to 80 percent of natural gas wells drilled in the next decade will require hydraulic fracturing. less

A worker adjusts pipes during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. The first experimental use of hydraulic fracturing was in 1947, and more than 1 million U.S. oil and ... more

Photo: Brennan Linsley / AP

Image 3 of 29

A worker watches over a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. gas well near Mead, Colo. In the background is a tall canvas wall around the perimeter of the extraction site, which mitigates noise, light and dust coming from the operation during the drilling and completion phase, which generally takes a few weeks. less

A worker watches over a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. gas well near Mead, Colo. In the background is a tall canvas wall around the perimeter of the extraction site, which mitigates noise, ... more

Photo: Brennan Linsley / AP

Image 4 of 29

Mike Hamilton, ground and crew supervisor for Bayou Well Services, keeps watch over a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. It takes a few weeks for the half dozen wells on a typical pad to be fracked, after which the petroleum products are extracted for years by operators like Encana. less

Mike Hamilton, ground and crew supervisor for Bayou Well Services, keeps watch over a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. It takes a few weeks for the half dozen wells ... more

Photo: Brennan Linsley / AP

Image 5 of 29

A worker wears a protective helmet decorated with stickers during a hydraulic fracturing operation at a gas well, near Mead, Colo. The first experimental use of hydraulic fracturing was in 1947, and more than 1 million U.S. oil and gas wells have been fracked since, according to the American Petroleum Institute. The National Petroleum Council estimates that up to 80 percent of natural gas wells drilled in the next decade will require hydraulic fracturing. less

A worker wears a protective helmet decorated with stickers during a hydraulic fracturing operation at a gas well, near Mead, Colo. The first experimental use of hydraulic fracturing was in 1947, and more than ... more

Photo: Brennan Linsley / AP

Image 6 of 29

Workers talk during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, can greatly increase the productivity of an oil or gas well by splitting open rock with water and/or sand pumped underground at high pressure. less

Workers talk during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, can greatly increase the productivity of an oil or gas well by splitting ... more

Photo: Brennan Linsley / AP

Image 7 of 29

A machine mixes sand and water, left, before it is pumped underground during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. Hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking,"is the practice of injecting water, sand and chemicals into source rock to crack it and create escape routes for oil and gas. less

A machine mixes sand and water, left, before it is pumped underground during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. Hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking,"is the practice of ... more

Photo: Brennan Linsley / ASSOCIATED PRESS

Image 8 of 29

A worker climbs down a from a machine that mixes sand and water, left, before it is pumped underground during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. Hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking,"is the practice of injecting water, sand and chemicals into source rock to crack it and create escape routes for oil and gas. less

A worker climbs down a from a machine that mixes sand and water, left, before it is pumped underground during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. Hydraulic fracturing, ... more

Photo: Brennan Linsley / AP

Image 9 of 29

A worker climbs down a from a machine that mixes sand and water, left, before it is pumped underground during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. Hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking,"is the practice of injecting water, sand and chemicals into source rock to crack it and create escape routes for oil and gas. less

A worker climbs down a from a machine that mixes sand and water, left, before it is pumped underground during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. Hydraulic fracturing, ... more

Photo: Brennan Linsley / AP

Image 10 of 29

A technician inside a trailer monitors and directs the pressure and mix of water, sand and chemicals pumped during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. It takes a few weeks for the half-dozen wells on a typical pad to be fracked, after which the petroleum products are extracted for years by operators like Encana. less

A technician inside a trailer monitors and directs the pressure and mix of water, sand and chemicals pumped during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. It takes a few ... more

Photo: Brennan Linsley / AP

Image 11 of 29

Technicians inside a trailer direct the pressure and mix of water and chemicals pumped into an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. well during hydraulic fracturing, outside Rifle, in western Colorado. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, raises concern among some that the chemicals used and hydrocarbons released can contaminate groundwater. Industry officials say an absence of documented, widespread problems with fracking proves the process is safe. less

Technicians inside a trailer direct the pressure and mix of water and chemicals pumped into an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. well during hydraulic fracturing, outside Rifle, in western Colorado. Hydraulic ... more

Photo: AP

Image 12 of 29

Perforating tools, used to create fractures in the rock, are lowered into one of six wells during a roughly two-week hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. Proponents of hydraulic fracturing point to the economic benefits from vast amounts of formerly inaccessible hydrocarbons that now can be extracted with hydraulic fracturing. Opponents point to potential environmental impacts, with some critics acknowledging that some fracking operations are far cleaner than others. less

Perforating tools, used to create fractures in the rock, are lowered into one of six wells during a roughly two-week hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. Proponents of ... more

Photo: Brennan Linsley / AP

Image 13 of 29

Mike Hamilton, ground and crew supervisor for Bayou Well Services, walks past the well heads during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. It takes a few weeks for the half dozen wells on a typical pad to be fracked, after which the petroleum products are extracted for years by operators like Encana. less

Mike Hamilton, ground and crew supervisor for Bayou Well Services, walks past the well heads during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. It takes a few weeks for the ... more

Photo: Brennan Linsley / AP

Image 14 of 29

A worker watches over a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. gas well, near Mead, Colo. In the background is a tall canvas wall around the perimeter of the extraction site, which mitigates noise, light and dust coming from the operation during the drilling and completion phase, which generally takes a few weeks. less

A worker watches over a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. gas well, near Mead, Colo. In the background is a tall canvas wall around the perimeter of the extraction site, which mitigates noise, ... more

Photo: Brennan Linsley / AP

Image 15 of 29

A worker watches over a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. gas well pad, near Mead, Colo. In the background is a tall canvas wall around the perimeter of the extraction site, which mitigates noise, light and dust coming from the operation during the drilling and completion phase, which generally takes a few weeks. less

A worker watches over a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. gas well pad, near Mead, Colo. In the background is a tall canvas wall around the perimeter of the extraction site, which mitigates ... more

Photo: Brennan Linsley / AP

Image 16 of 29

A worker walks among huge pumps and other equipment at the site of a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. The first experimental use of hydraulic fracturing was in 1947, and more than 1 million U.S. oil and gas wells have been fracked since, according to the American Petroleum Institute. The National Petroleum Council estimates that up to 80 percent of natural gas wells drilled in the next decade will require hydraulic fracturing. less

A worker walks among huge pumps and other equipment at the site of a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Corp. well pad near Mead, Colo. The first experimental use of hydraulic fracturing was in 1947, ... more

Photo: Brennan Linsley / AP

Image 17 of 29

A worker checks a dipstick to check water levels and temperatures in a series of tanks at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. hydraulic fracturing operation at a gas drilling site outside Rifle, Colorado. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, can greatly increase the productivity of an oil or gas well by splitting open rock with water, fine sand and lubricants pumped underground at high pressure. Companies typically need several million gallons of water to frack a single well. In western Colorado, Encana says it recycles over 95 percent of the water it uses for fracking to save money and limit use of local water supplies. less

A worker checks a dipstick to check water levels and temperatures in a series of tanks at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. hydraulic fracturing operation at a gas drilling site outside Rifle, Colorado. Hydraulic ... more

Photo: AP

Image 18 of 29

A worker uses a headset and microphone to communicate with coworkers over the din of pump trucks, at the site of a natural gas hydraulic fracturing and extraction operation run by the Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc., outside Rifle, in western Colorado. The technique of hydraulic fracturing is used to increase or restore the rate at which fluids, such as petroleum, water, or natural gas can be recovered from subterranean natural reservoirs. less

A worker uses a headset and microphone to communicate with coworkers over the din of pump trucks, at the site of a natural gas hydraulic fracturing and extraction operation run by the Encana Oil & Gas (USA) ... more

Photo: AP

Image 19 of 29

A worker helps monitor water pumping pressure and temperature, at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. hydraulic fracturing and extraction site, outside Rifle, in western Colorado. Hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," occurs after oil and gas wells are drilled and frequently in between drilling phases. The process uses millions of gallons of water mixed with smaller amounts of fine sand and chemicals to split open oil- and gas-bearing rock often located more than a mile underground. Fracking typically occurs in conjunction with other modern drilling techniques, such as directional drilling. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley) less

A worker helps monitor water pumping pressure and temperature, at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. hydraulic fracturing and extraction site, outside Rifle, in western Colorado. Hydraulic fracturing, or ... more

Photo: AP

Image 20 of 29

A worker uses hand signals to communicate with a co-worker over the sound of massive pumps at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. hydraulic fracturing and extraction site, outside Rifle, in western Colorado. Millions of gallons of water are pumped down well holes to split open oil- and gas-bearing formations in the hydraulic fracturing process. Much of the water used at this site was being recycled to save money and avoid wasting precious local water supplies. less

A worker uses hand signals to communicate with a co-worker over the sound of massive pumps at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. hydraulic fracturing and extraction site, outside Rifle, in western Colorado. ... more

Photo: AP

Image 21 of 29

A worker helps monitor water pumping pressure and temperature, at the site of a natural gas hydraulic fracturing and extraction operation run by Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc., outside Rifle, in western Colorado. Proponents of hydraulic fracturing point to the economic benefits from vast amounts of formerly inaccessible hydrocarbons the process can extract. Opponents point to potential environmental impacts, with some critics acknowledging that some fracking operations are far cleaner than others. less

A worker helps monitor water pumping pressure and temperature, at the site of a natural gas hydraulic fracturing and extraction operation run by Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc., outside Rifle, in western Colorado. ... more

Photo: AP

Image 22 of 29

A rig drills for natural gas which will eventually be released using hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, on leased private property outside Rifle, in western Colorado. Once drilling is completed, wells are fractured to allow the flow of gas from deposits typically more than a mile underground. less

A rig drills for natural gas which will eventually be released using hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, on leased private property outside Rifle, in western Colorado. Once drilling is completed, wells are ... more

Photo: AP

Image 23 of 29

Workers adjust piping during a short pause in water pumping during a natural gas hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. drilling site outside Rifle, in western Colorado. The first experimental use of hydraulic fracturing was in 1947, and more than 1 million U.S. oil and gas wells have been fracked since, according to the American Petroleum Institute. The National Petroleum Council estimates up to 80 percent of natural gas wells drilled in the next decade will require hydraulic fracturing. less

Workers adjust piping during a short pause in water pumping during a natural gas hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. drilling site outside Rifle, in western Colorado. The first ... more

Photo: AP

Image 24 of 29

Workers tend to a well head during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. gas well outside Rifle, in western Colorado. The first experimental hydraulic fracturing occurred in 1947. More than 1 million U.S. oil and gas wells have been fracked since, according to the American Petroleum Institute. less

Workers tend to a well head during a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. gas well outside Rifle, in western Colorado. The first experimental hydraulic fracturing occurred in 1947. ... more

Photo: AP

Image 25 of 29

Workers stand atop water tanks while they help keep an eye on water pressure and temperature at a hydraulic fracturing operation run by Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc., outside Rifle, in western Colorado. The first experimental use of hydraulic fracturing was in 1947 followed by the first commercially successful applications in 1949. More than 1 million U.S. oil and gas wells have been fracked since, according to the American Petroleum Institute. less

Workers stand atop water tanks while they help keep an eye on water pressure and temperature at a hydraulic fracturing operation run by Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc., outside Rifle, in western Colorado. The ... more

Photo: AP

Image 26 of 29

A worker switches well heads during a short pause in the water pumping phase, at the site of a natural gas hydraulic fracturing and extraction operation run by Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc., outside Rifle, in western Colorado. Proponents of hydraulic fracturing point to the economic benefits from vast amounts of formerly inaccessible hydrocarbons the process can extract. Opponents point to potential environmental impacts, with some critics acknowledging that some fracking operations are far cleaner than others. less

A worker switches well heads during a short pause in the water pumping phase, at the site of a natural gas hydraulic fracturing and extraction operation run by Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc., outside Rifle, in ... more

Photo: AP

Image 27 of 29

A hydraulic fracturing operation is underway at a site outside Rifle, in western Colorado. In the background, a battery of yellow tanks hold water for the job at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. gas well. Pump trucks are parked in front of the tanks. Workers control the flow of water, sand and chemicals into the well heads, left, from an operations trailer, center far right. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, raises concern among some that the chemicals used and hydrocarbons released can contaminate groundwater. Industry officials say an absence of documented, widespread problems with fracking proves the process is safe. less

A hydraulic fracturing operation is underway at a site outside Rifle, in western Colorado. In the background, a battery of yellow tanks hold water for the job at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. gas well. Pump ... more

Photo: AP

Image 28 of 29

A worker uses a dipstick to check water levels and temperatures in a series of tanks for a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. gas drilling site outside Rifle, Colo. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, can greatly increase the productivity of an oil or gas well by splitting open rock with water pumped underground at high pressure. The process typically requires several million gallons of water per well. In western Colorado, Encana says it goes to great lenghts to recycle over 95 percent of the water it uses for fracking to save money and limit use of local water supplies. less

A worker uses a dipstick to check water levels and temperatures in a series of tanks for a hydraulic fracturing operation at an Encana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. gas drilling site outside Rifle, Colo. Hydraulic ... more